أما والخيامُ المشرفاتُ على الحِمَى

ومن حَلّ في تلك الخيامِ وخيمّاَ

Though the pavilions overlooking the fevered grounds,

And whoever pitched his tent in those grounds encamped,

وحيّ بنجدٍ كنتُ آلفُ وصلَهم

وعيش بنجدَ كان لي قد تصرّ ما

And though I was wont the love of the Bani Asad,

And lived the life of ease in their Najd,

لقد زادني سُقماً سقامُ جفونهم

ومَا سقمتْ ها تلك إلاّ لأسقما

Their languid eyelids increased my sickness upon sickness,

And I fell not sick, but that they might fall sick as well.

وأرْدفنَ أعضائي روادفهم ضنىَّ

ففي أزرهم ري وفي كبدي ظما

Their litters jostled my limbs when we parted,

So in their wrap I had but wind, while in my heart a blaze raged.

وفيهم أناةُ الخطو مُخْطَفِة الحشا

تريك فغيماً في النصيف وأهضما

The pace of their mounts was snatched by fate,

Making you see a rain cloud in thin air followed by pitch darkness,

غداقيّةُ شعْراً سُلاَفيّةٌ لمَا

صُباحيِة وجهاً أقاحيّةٌ فمَا

Their hair pouring down, their faces Sabaean,

Radiant in the morning, sharp of glance,

أنارب لنا وجهاً وجنَّت ذوائبا

وما الحُسْنُ إلاّ مَا أنار وأظلمَا

Lighting a face for us, their tresses flowing freely,

For beauty is naught but that which illuminates or shades.

ولما رَمَتْنَا عن قسيّ جُفونِهَا

فدَيْنا يَدَ الرامي إلينا وَمَا رَمَى

And when we shot glances at the hardness of their eyes,

We ransomed the hand that shot arrows at us, though it shot naught.

أجارَتنا لا تُهملي لي مَا مَضى

ولا تُنْكُري ذاك الودادَ المقدما

Protect me, disregard not what has passed between us,

Nor deny the affection that was presented aforetime,

ولا تسمعي فيَّ الحَسُودُ وإن وَشى

فما وُهّمَ الإنسانُ إلاَّ توَهّمَاً

And heed not the slanderer, though he whisper in your ear,

Man imagines nothing but phantoms of his own making.

وإني لنحَّاتُ الكلام وعسَّافُ الظلام

ومُنضى العيس في الميس سُهَّمَا

Lo, I sculpt words and saddle obscurity,

Unsheathing the sword in battle, drowned in my own blood.

ومَا أمْدحُ الأجوادَ إلاّ لجودِهم

وما أخدمَ الساداتِ إلاّ لأِخدما

And I praise the generous only for their generosity,

And I serve the mighty only that I might serve.

ومالي وأهلِ الغور أطلبُ رفدهم

وفي اشيح بَحْرٌ إذا زرته طمى

Why would I seek the inadequate gifts of the vulgar

When the sea of Al-Saifi is at flood if I visit it?

ومَا زال مَغْنَى راشد بن مطفر بن مسعودٍ

مَغنىً للعُفاةِ وَمَغْنَما

Ever shall the song of Rashid remain unsullied,

A song for the destitute, and plunder shared.

أأنتَجِعُ الأوشالَ في كل بلدة

وأترك كفاً كالسحابِ إذا همى

Shall I seek rest in every land from all its evils,

And leave a raincloud when it promises rain?

وأنوي لغير إبنِ المظفرِ حاجة

وما كل خلق الله أن سِيْل أنْعَمَا

Shall I court another besides the son of Muzaffar,

When not all of God's creation can be like a torrent of bounty?

لقد ملأتْ عرضَ البلاد هِبَاتُه

وأنجدَ حسنَ الذكرِ عنه واتهما

His gifts filled the horizons from end to end,

And his good name rang out in Hijaz accused or praised.

وجاد أبو المهدي من شد أزره

وأنعم إنعامَ السحابِ وأرْغما

The father of El-Muhdi strained his generosity,

Bestowing gifts like the rain cloud, bountiful and proud.

وشاد لسنحان بنِ عمرو مراتبا

على الشهب يأبى الله أن يتهدما

And he built up the position of Sinan ibn Imru El-Qais,

To heights which God has made too lofty to destroy.

سريعُ إلى الداعي سريع إلى الوغى

فإن شِئتَ مطعَانا وإن شئت مطعما

Swift to answer the supplicant, swift to war,

A piercing blade if you wished, a feast if you wished.

دع البرمكيين الذين تقدموا

فكلهم أرضٌ وأنت لهم سَمَا

Leave the boasting Umawis, those who went before,

For all are but dust, while you are the sky.

ولا تَعْجَبَنْ من ذكر كعبِ بن مَامَةٍ

فما زلت أندى منه كفاً وأكرَما

And marvel not at the mention of Ka'b ibn Zuhayr,

For my palm is more generous and noble than his.

لِئَن جئت في أثارهم فمحمدٌ

أتى أخِراً في الأنبيْاءِ مُقدّما

If I walk in their footsteps, Muhammad

Though last of the prophets, was also the first.

تَدَارَكْ من الأيام وتَرِى فإنني

لقيت من الأيام خطباً عَرَمَرما

The fates take turns, and you will yet see,

I have borne grave tidings and great pain.

ومَا ارتجى خلقاً سواك بحاجتي

أأطلبُ من غير الكرامِ تكرَما

I sought no man's aid but yours in my strait,

Shall I seek less than nobility from the noble?

ومن ذا الذي يبغي طبيباً لِدائه

وقد لاحَ لي وجه المسيح بن مريما

Who asks a physician to cure his ills,

When the face of Jesus son of Mary has appeared to me?

فعمُرّت للدنيا جمالاً وللورى

غياثاً وللهيجاء ليثا غشمشما

You brought the world beauty, the faith relief,

To the terrified, a bold lion who defends.